Weft yarn tying device for needle looms



NOV. 19, 1968 J, MULLER 3,411,549

WEFT YARN TYING DEVICE FOR NEEDLE LOOMS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

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WEFT YARN TYING DEVICE FOR NEEDLE LOOMS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTOR Aaflu aw x65 ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1968 Y J. MULLER 3,411,549

WEFT YARN TYING DEVICE FOR NEEDLE LOOMS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR MM BY ficdml/ vk w' ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1968 .1. MULLER WEFT YARN TYING DEVICE FOR NEEDLE LOOMS Filed NOV. 21, 1966 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG] 5 F/aa INVENTOR M MW BY Mala! ATTORNEY 4 be produced.

United States Patent WEFT YARN TYING DEVICE FOR NEEDLE LOOMS Jakob Miiller, Frick, Aargau, Switzerland Filed Nov. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 596,018 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Nov. 20, 1965, 15,938/ 65 Claims. (Cl. 139-424) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Two weft yarns are alternately inserted into warp sheds from one side of the warp by one weft inserting member, and are alternately tied on the other side by loops formed with or without an auxiliary yarn by two alternately operated latch needles.

Cross-references to related applications An application entitled Weft Yarn Anchoring Arrangement forNeedle Looms will be filed substantially simultaneously with the present application.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to an improvement of needle looms of the type in which a weft inserting member is mounted on one side of the loom and is first moved to the other side for inserting a weft yarn, and then returned to its initial position after the inserted weft yarn has been anchored in some manner on the other side of the fabric. Needle looms of this type are particularly used for weaving comparatively narrow fabrics, such as ribbons.

Needle looms are known in which two weft inserting means insert different weft threads, and are alternately actuated to insert the two weft yarns alternately into the warp sheds.

Another needle loom is known in which several weft yarns are successively inserted by one weft inserting means, and are tied together on the other side of the fabric by a common tying yarn looped by a single loop forming needle.

Although the needle looms of the prior art have a complicated construction and are difficult to operate, nevertheless only comparatively plain fabrics or ribbons can Summary of the invention It is the object of the invention to provide a needle loom with a simple and easily operated weft yarn tying device for trying a plurality of weft yarns by independent loops and without the use of a tying yarn common to all weft yarns.

The improvement of the invention comprises weft yarn guide means operable to supply at least first and second weft yarns in a selected sequence, preferably al ternately, to the weft inserting means of a needle loom; at least first and second loop forming means, preferably latch needles, respectively associated with the first and second weft yarns and being movable in the direction of the warps for forming loops'by which the first and second weft yarns are tied; and control means for operating the weft inserting means, the yarn guide means, and the first and second loop forming means.

The first and second loop forming means are independently operated in the same sequence in which the first and second weft yarns are supplied, and form first and second parallel rows of loops for anchoring the first and second weft yarns respectively near the edge of the fabric.

Preferably, the first loop forming means is located at Patented Nov. 19, 1968 the edge of the fabric, and the second loop forming means is located inwardly of the edge and spaced a selected small distance from the first loop forming means. The weft inserting means is a single weft inserting member preferably having a forked end portion for alternately receiving the two weft yarns from two alternately operated weft yarn guides.

It is possible to form the anchoring loops only of the respective weft yarns. However, it is preferred to use a tying yarn supplied by an auxiliary yarn guide to the inwardly located loop forming means so that the loops by which the respective weft yarn is tied, are formed of the tying yarn. The yarn guide, and the control means by which the two loop forming means are reciprocate-d in warp direction, are preferably controlled by strings operated by a Jacquard machine of known construction.

While one of the loop forming means is disposed at the edge of the fabric, one or more additional loop forming means may be arranged spaced different distances from the edge in the region of the fabric for anchoring different weft yarns.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection 'with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings illustrating successive operational positions of another loop forming means.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the warps 1 of a fabric, such as a band or ribbon, are operated in the usual manner to form warp sheds through which two weft yarns 3 and 4 are alternately inserted by a weft inserting member 5 having a forked end portion into which the weft yarn guides 6 and 7 alternately insert the respective weft yarns 3 and 4. As best seen in FIG. 2, weighted weft yarn guides 6 and 7 are operated by stiff wire strings 14 and 15 which are raised and lowered by the Jacquard control device of the loom.

Weft inserting member 5 is reciprocated and performs an inserting stroke from one side of the loom and fabric, shown to be the left side in FIG. 1, to the other side of the fabric, and back. The reciprocating motion of weft inserting member 5 is derived from a rotary cam having a helical cam track in which a cam follower mounted on weft inserting member 5 is guided.

On the right side of the fabric and the loom, two loop forming latch needles 8 and 9 are provided which are, respectively, associated with weft yarns 3 and 4. Latch needle 8 is located at the edge of fabric 2, and latc h needle 9 is located inwardly of latch needle 8, spaced a predetermined distance from the same and from the edge of the fabric.

Latch needles 8 and 9 are reciprocated in the longitudinal warp direction of the fabric by a reciprocating drive member 19 and a pair of coupling levers 17 and 18 which respectively cooperate with butts 23 and 22, as shown in FIG. 2. Coupling levers 17 and 18 are respectively connected with stiff wire strings 20 and 21 operated by the Jacquard pattern control device 100 of the loom in synchronism with the cam by which weft inserting member 5 is reciprocated. A rotary cam having a helical track engaged by a cam follower on drive member 19 may be used.

Latch needles 8 and 9 are alternately advanced and retracted. When latch needle 8 is to be advanced toward the path of the weft inserting member 5, the Jacquard control mechanism operates string 20 to place coupling lever 17 in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, while string 21 is operated to place coupling lever 18 in the illustrated coupling position engaging butt 22 of latch needle 9. In this position, movement of drive member 19 toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2 causes advance of the respective latch needle.

When latch needle 8 is to be advanced, string 21 is raised, coupling lever 18 separated from butt 22, while string 20 is not operated so that coupling lever 17 assumes the coupling position engaging butt 23 of latch needle 8. During the following stroke of drive member 19 to the right latch needle 8 is advanced against the action of spring 8a. Springs, not shown urge coupling levers 1'7 and 18 to the coupling position, and the latch needles are biased by springs 8a and 9a to be retracted during the stroke of drive member 19 to the left. The arrangement is such that latch needles 8 and 9 are alternately advanced and retracted by drive member 19.

Latch needle 9 which is located inwardly of the fabric edge, is disposed slightly above the woven fabric 2, while latch needle 8 is located at the edge of the fabric below the level of latch needle 9.

An auxiliary yarn guide 13 is provided for guiding a tying yarn 11 into the hook of latch needle 9. Yarn guide 13 is weighted and controlled by a stiff wire string 16 of the Jacquard mechanism.

In the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which yarn guide 6 has been operated by string 14 to move up, weft yarn 4 is engaged by the advancing weft inserting member 5. This sequence of operations is best shown in FIGS. 3 to 6.

As shown in FIG. 6, latch needle 9 is in the retracted end position in which a loop formed of tying yarn 11 is held by the hook of the latch needle 9 which is closed by latch 9'. Weft inserting member 5 has started its movement into the open warp shed and inserts the double weft yarn 4 into the shed. Auxiliary yarn guide 13 is still located on the right side of the fabric.

In the position of FIG. 4, weft inserting member 5 has fully passed through the shed and placed the double weft yarn 4 in the same, crossing the advanced needle 9 which is located under weft inserting member 5 and above portion 4a of yarn 4. During the advance of needle 9, loop 11a has slipped onto the stem of needle 9, opening latch 9'.

In the position shown in FIG. 5, weft inserting member 5 and latch needle 9 have started their return strokes. The hook of needle 9 has caught the tying yarn 11 while the old loop 11a closes latch 9'.

In the following position of FIG. 6, weft yarn 4 is already held by tying yarn 11, while weft inserting member 5 is withdrawn. When needle 9 is further retracted, the old loop 11a is cast off, and a new loop is formed of tying yarn 11 which anchors the bent portion of the double weft yarn 4, the new loop assuming the position shown for the old loo-p 11a in FIG. 3.

In this manner, a row or chain of loops 1?. shown in FIG. 1 is formed in warp direction on the fabric for anchoring the double weft yarn.

In the illustrated embodiment, the Weft yarn 3 is looped by latch needle 8 Without the use of a tying yarn.

4 This operation will now be described With reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

In the position of FIG. 7, weft inserting member 5 has been advanced into the warp shed, while latch needle 8 is still in the retracted position holding loop 3a of weft yarn 3. In the position of FIG. 8, weft inserting member has placed the weft yarn 3 completely in the warp shed, and needle 8 has advanced between the underside of weft inserting member 5 and weft yarn portion 317. The old loop 3a has moved to the stern of needle 8 and opened latch 8.

In the following position of FIG. 9, needle 8 has been retracted, and pulls a portion of the newly inserted weft yarn 3 down, while loop 3a has closed latch 8'. Finally, as shown in FIG. 10, the weft inserting member 5 is fully retracted, the old loop 3a is cast off, and a new loop 30 is held by the hook of the needle corresponding to the position of loop 3a in FIG. 7.

It is, of course, possible to use an additional auxiliary yarn guide for supplying another tying yarn to needle 8 and to anchor weft yarn 3 at the edge of the fabric by an additional tying yarn in the manner described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. On the other hand, it is also possible to omit the auxiliary yarn guide 13 and tying yarn 11, and to form loops of weft yarn 4 by needle 9 in the manner described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

Due to the fact that a plurality of latch needles is used for anchoring a plurality of weft yarns, it is possible to operate the needle loom at a very high speed while obtaining a perfect anchoring of the weft yarn.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of needle looms differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a weft yarn tying device having a single weft inserting member and a pair of latch needles for anchoring two weft yarns by rows of loops extending in warp direction, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and described to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a needle loom comprising a weft inserting means reciprocable across the warps of a fabric woven on said loom from one side to the other side of the loom and fabric, and back in the opposite direction, the improvement comprising weft yarn guide means operable to supply at least first and second weft yarns in a selected sequence to said weft inserting means; at least first and second loop forming means respectively associated with said first and second weft yarns and disposed on said other side movable in the direction of said warps for forming loops by which said first and second yarns are tied on said other side of said fabric; and control means operating in timed relation with said weft inserting means, for operating said yarn guide means, and said first and second loop forming means so that the latter are operated in the same sequence in which said first and second weft yarns are supplied, and form first and second parallel rows of loops for anchoring said first and second weft yarns, respectively, on said other side of said fabric.

2. The improvement defined in claim wherein said first loop forming means is located at the edge of the fabric on said other side, and wherein said second loop means is located in the region of said fabric inward of said edge spaced a selected distance from the same.

3. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said weft inserting means is a single weft inserting member having an end portion for'receiving said weft yarns from said weft yarn guide means.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second loop forming means are first and second latch needles reciprocable in the longitudinal direction thereof.

5. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said Weft yarn guide means include first and second weft yarn guides for said first and second weft yarns, respectively, wherein said control means operate said first and second weft yarn guides to alternately supply said first and second weft yarns to said weft inserting means; and wherein said control means alternately operate said first and second loop forming means.

6. The improvement defined in claim 1 comprising a pattern control device including string means connected with said control means for operating the same.

7. The improvement defined in claim 1 and including at least one auxiliary yarn guide for supplying a typing yarn to at least one of said loop forming means so that the same forms loops of said tying yarn by which the respective weft yarn is tied, said loops of said tying yarn forming one of said rows of loops on said other side of said fabric.

8. The improvement defined in claim 7 wherein said first loop forming means is located at the edge of the fabric on said other side, and wherein said second loop forming means is located in the region of said fabric inward of said edge spaced a selected distance from the same; and wherein said auxiliary yarn guide cooperates with said second loop forming means so that said one row is located inwardly of said edge of said fabric.

9. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said first loop forming means is a first latch needle located at the edge of the fabric on said other side, wherein said second loop forming means is a second latch needle located in the region of said fabric inward of said edge spaced a selected distance from the same, wherein said first and second latch needles are reciprocable in the longitudinal direction thereof in warp direction; wherein said weft yarn guide means includes first and second weft yarn guides for said first and second weft yarns, respectively; and wherein said control means alternately operate said first and second latch needles and said first and second yarn guides, respectively.

10. The improvement defined in claim 9 and including at least one auxiliary yarn guide for supplying a tying yarn to at least one of said latch needles so that the same forms loops of said tying yarn by which the respective Weft yarn is tied.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,758,614 8/1956 Silberman et al. 139124 3,136,343 6/1964 Firing 139l24.l

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,302,856 7/1962 France.

410,810 10/1966 Switzerland.

HENRY S. IAUDON, Primary Examiner. 

